Branch, the god of sloth, twirled his gun around his finger, gripped it firmly, then lunged forward, firing three mana bullets at once.
Alia raised her hand, Phoenix flas enveloping her like armor before surging in front of her to form a blazing pillar.
'No…' her eyes shot upward.
In the sky, the bullet that had just been aid at her was now plumting down as though it had been fired from above.
She leapt aside, narrowly avoiding the impact as the ground where she had stood shattered completely.
A sharp exhale escaped her as Branch smirked. "You're sharp."
He spun the gun again.
Alia, recognizing the gesture, conjured another flaming arrow, perspiration forming along her temples.
She might have been a spirit artist, but her greatest talent lay in sharpshooting.
Another controlled breath slipped from her lips.
'It's hot.'
She bit down, draining more mana, and summoned yet another spirit.
This ti, a small rmaid ford from liquid mana.
"Undine, can you keep from overheating?"
The high-ranking spirit nodded.
Her body lted into liquid water and soon swirled protectively around Alia, already engulfed in flas.
Branch squeezed the trigger and fired again.
'Don't dodge it.'
Alia knew from the first shot.
She couldn't block this man's attack.
Not only that, but unless the bullet brushed directly against her skin, dodging was nearly impossible.
"Such a troubleso authority."
But he wasn't the only one who had a troubleso authority.
She too had her's.
And the only reason she hadn't used it yet was because it could only be invoked once a year.
Bang! Bang!
The gunshots rang out as Alia launched herself skyward.
She drew back her bowstring, a long flaming arrow forming as the string itself manifested.
She resembled a Greek goddess suspended in midair, her eyes shifting from erald green to blood crimson.
Her body twisted, narrowly evading the bullet that almost pierced her, allowing it to obliterate several trees instead.
Then—
She released the arrow, sending it streaking forward at inhuman speed.
Branch didn't even move. He didn't need to.
The arrow, once locked on him, veered right at the last instant, detonating violently and obliterating the terrain nearby.
Dust and debris billowed as the explosion climbed toward the sky.
Alia's eyes widened in stunned disbelief.
"How?" she stamred.
Branch grinned, his posture still slouched. "You attacked without even learning my authority?" He paused. "Foolish."
'Doesn't his authority make his bullets unavoidable?' Alia thought.
The god of sloth answered her unspoken question. "If this were back in the days when I still wielded the power of a high-level Supre, I would have killed you instantly."
He stuck his tongue out like a deranged madman. "Do you see it, bitch? I'm untouchable, even as a re Monarch."
The fight was unfair from the start.
How could a Graduator hope to face a Monarch three ranks above?
And worse, the man before her possessed an authority that tampered with the very concepts of defense and safety.
'So this is the ancient god of sloth… Branch.'
The god of sloth sneered. "Co on, lady, let's dance."
"Shit."
Only two outcos awaited this battle.
Either she died, or she ascended to a rank others could only dream of.
First Matchup:
Alia Val Arcain vs. Branch, the god of Sloth.
---
anwhile, in another part of the academy—
The sound of a body slamming against a tree echoed through the air as a young woman's fra crashed to the ground.
Her brown hair clung to her bloodied face, her eyes burning with unyielding defiance.
An old man with a long white beard flicked his katana, scattering the blood from its blade.
"That was a good move…" He turned his gaze toward the staggering woman. "What was your na again?"
Cassie clenched her teeth. 'This guy is strong.'
After landing from Nathira's back, she had encountered a strange-looking old man, almost as if soone had staged it.
At first, she had intended to help him, but the closer she drew, the more she regretted it.
The frail-looking elder was no elder at all, but a monster in disguise.
The old man exhaled heavily. "You young ones lack respect. As your senior, not only in age but in swordsmanship, I shall teach you proper manners."
He closed his eyes as though in prayer.
Cassie forced a grin.
"What? Praying now?" she taunted. "I guess you're afraid you won't be able to defeat ."
The man's eyes opened, glowing with a fiery red light.
Flas erupted instantly, lting the ground into a molten mass.
He stepped forward, and Cassie felt an invisible pressure weighing on her body.
"No." The old man's voice thundered. "I have no one to pray to."
The flas around him heated his katana until it glowed like a blade freshly drawn from a forge.
"Who would a god pray to?"
He slid one leg forward. "I am Yamamoto, the god of pride. What is your na, swordswoman?"
Cassie lowered her stance, hand gripping her sheathed blade. "I am Cassie Val Arcain, fourth wife of Arthur Val Arcain."
Yamamoto smiled. "I will rember you, young swordswoman."
He raised his blade, the moonlight casting silver streaks across its edge.
"If this were another tiline, perhaps I might have taken you as my disciple."
Cassie smirked. "Don't worry, old man, I'll rember you as well. When I take your place, your na will not be forgotten."
The man's smile lingered. 'She truly is a gem.'
If circumstances had been different…
Perhaps.
He closed his eyes, channeling force into the tip of his blade. Cassie mirrored him, condensing her energy around her body.
In a single heartbeat, their eyes snapped open.
Slash.
Second Matchup:
Cassie Val Arcain vs. Yamamoto, the god of Pride.
---
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─── ✦ End of Chapter ✦ ───
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